City money paid to company where Pittsburgh cop is officer

A federal grand jury is investigating Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper’s possible role in the creation of a company that got a city contract to install laptop computers in police cars.

Harper has denied any involvement with two people already indicted in the case. A Channel 4 Action News investigation originally broke the story in 2010.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Harper entered into a partnership with four of his subordinates to form a private security company.

Action News investigator Paul Van Osdol reported that the district attorney has concluded Harper’s role in that company was a violation of state law, but not criminal.

Now, Action News investigator Jim Parsons has discovered new details about one of Harper’s partners in the private security company.

Parsons uncovered state government documentation that Pittsburgh police Officer Tonya Ford is an officer in D&T Enterprises, a Homestead company that got paid thousands of dollars by the city of Pittsburgh, apparently without a contract and without competitive bids.

Four invoices in 2011 show D&T was paid more than $7,000 to provide knapsacks for the police department's DARE program and catering for a police-community dinner. The invoices list Sgt. Matt Gauntner at police headquarters as the recipient of the knapsacks.

Gauntner, who works regularly as an on-duty police bodyguard for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, is also in charge of the DARE program.

“It seems like every day we're learning something new that's even more troubling than what we knew the day before,” said city Controller Michael Lamb.

Lamb, a candidate for mayor, said it may be time for Harper to step down.

“He's either got to step up and take some serious steps within the bureau or start to make a decision for himself,” said Lamb.

Lamb said he thinks it’s the mayor’s job to make that happen.

“I think the mayor and (Harper) have to have a conversation about the future of the bureau,” said Lamb.

Harper, Ford and Gauntner did not return a request for comment.

Ravenstahl’s chief counsel, Dan Regan, said an independent consultant will be hired to investigate the matters involving the police department.

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